


On a Wing and a Woof

by Reptile_Wing



Series: On a Wing and a Woof [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Action and Romance, Don't be sorry to ask for tags to be added if you see fit, Easter Eggs to the anime are sprinkled in this - let me know which ones you find, Here there be angst, Long-Haired Victor Nikiforov, Look forward to a burst of Viktor/ Chris drunken shenanigans, M/M, Magicks at play, NONE of our Skater Bois are evil, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Please don't copy this to any other sites, This is a blatant attempt to get others to watch a good movie, Victor's name is spelt with a 'k' here, angst before happy ending, there will be blood - Freeform, this is based off a movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:46:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26043694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reptile_Wing/pseuds/Reptile_Wing
Summary: Their love started out like a fairy tale, simple and pure, until the touch of Evil left it's mark on their lives and the lives of those around them.Katsuki Yuuri, second-born to a lower-noble family, made a promise to Viktor Nikivorof the day they met.He aims to keep that promise ... if it is the final thing he ever does...Phichit, the Hamster, is a thief forever running from even the idea of what he dreams of having... is it fair then, at all, that his stomach could potentially have just landed him within a shared nightmare?Can their hard work land them each in a Happy Ever After all their own?[AN: This story is a YoI twist on the motion picture titled "LadyHawke".]
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Michele Crispino/Emil Nekola, Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky, Phichit Chulanont/Christophe Giacometti
Series: On a Wing and a Woof [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1880653
Comments: 32
Kudos: 31





	1. The Thief and the Captain

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so this is a YoI twist of the movie "LadyHawke" - I've been working on this for a while, and I thought others might enjoy reading it.  
> I promise that there isn't any action crazier or more violent than you would see in the movie; that being said, there is mention of blood, if that squigs you out. And seriously, if it does, feel free to let me know, 'cause I am willing to do AN's for it, and to sum up parts that anyone may feel the need to skip.
> 
> This is basically a story where we could say "Yuuri is the dashing Captain of the Guard, and Viktor is his beautiful, refined, Lover. Everything is nice until the Bad Guy shows himself to be the 'if I can't have [insert name here] then nobody can-type."
> 
> Enjoy Yuuri's journey to give his bad guy a beating!

Chapter One: The Thief and the Captain

The golden gleam of what possibly might be the sun had seemed to either taunt him or guide him as Phichit crawled his way slowly through the tunnel. It had been a long night, but it was all about to pay off, as soon as the young man could squeeze his burnished shoulders out through the opening ... only to plummet down to the waiting water below.

Falling down, however, afforded him the chance to wonder if the whole ordeal were not just a reenactment of his own birth? Perhaps of birth in general? It was as if there were some lesson in there, but he wasn't feeling quite bright enough to grasp it.

Not at this time of day at least.

Within minutes of his birth-like splash, sounds of the guards and their dogs could be heard screaming from the tower, but the young man had sprinted off toward the nearby hills and was hardly even willing to look back.

To look back now courted disaster.

He used to love the countryside - how wide open and grassy the areas near common roadways were, and how deep and dark the forests could be. True, one wrong step in the forests and you may never be seen again thanks to poachers and hunters of all types of prey, but the land itself was beautiful.

He had avoided it for years, despite loving that beauty.

Yuuri pressed back pitch black bangs with his fingers and watched silently as a goshawk twisted around in an eddie of air and then dove practically straight down to land on top of the falconer's glove held out for him. The golden eyes that turned up to look into his tired amber ones were glowing in the dawn's light. "Let me guess," he breathed, bringing the bird closer to his face, "you'd like to go hunting rabbit again, after preening?"

The bird chirped in happiness, hitting his head against the bridge of Yuuri's nose and going still until he felt a hand stroke down his back. Golden eyes once more caught amber and the bird chirped again. Sadly this time.

"I know," Yuuri whispered, body shaking only slightly less than his voice, "I wish I could hold you in my arms, too, Vitya."

Makkachin huffed and her rider leaned a bit closer so that he could give a pat and scratch behind an ear with his free hand, giving her a nudge to start walking again. Bridle loosely wrapped around his forearm, Yuuri put his hood back up to shade himself and Viktor as the goshawk dipped his head to preen stark white and black chest feathers.

Yuuri then used his long black cloak to shield Makkachin's flanks from the ill attention of early morning gnats and mosquitoes as they all slowly headed in the direction of the city.

When was the last time he'd even set eyes on any part of Hasetsu itself? Four ... maybe five years all told? But it felt like it was time - now or never, as it might be said, and there had been enough suffering. The Bishop could not be left alone to ruin the lives of even more innocents.

The people of Hasetsu deserved to be free.

Viktor deserved to be free.

Yuuri was determined to see both things happen with his own eyes... with his dying breath, if need be.

All he needed was a way inside the place that used to be a pure and sacred church ... and just a scant moment to get close to His Corrupted Holiness.

\---

It felt like he had run all day, even though it was not quite passing midday. Could not be.

Hungry, and smelling as if he'd ... well, as if he'd been through a tunnel-of-questionable-content, Phichit did his best to avoid large groups of people until he'd run into a river and dunked himself so that he couldn't be run to ground by scent alone.

The hunger, however, soon drove him and his nearly dry clothes toward a small eatery like an arrow from a bow. Several cloaked patrons seemed to be enjoying an alfresco meal as Phichit located the man running the place; he was currently dealing with a quartet of empty mugs.

"Barkeep," the young man breathed as soon as he was within arms reach of the stranger, hoping his voice carried enough to be heard by the man, "a glass of your finest ale, to slake my thirst." Phichit wanted to slap himself in the head once the words were uttered, sounding not 'adult' but pompous to his own ears. But words, like arrows, cannot be recalled easily once let loose into the world, so he winced and tried to move along.

The older man, hair black as slate, and eyes nearly the same, took in his newest potential patron and blinked once. "You have the coin to pay," he queried evenly.

There was a jingle at Pitchit's side as he bounced his money purse; true that most of the coin in it had come from pick-pocketing on his way in toward the city proper, but it was his now, and his skill had earned it. Unfortunately, there was the rustle of fabric behind him that told of extra ears ... and the grate of metal on metal left him no illusions as to the fact that swords were now aimed at his all-too-vulnerable back. Turning, the young thief saw a handful of men looking his way with curiosity on their faces. "Aaaannd, a mug for each of these fine gentlemen," he blurted, pointing the group out to the innkeeper quickly.

The innkeeper shrugged, tallying up the bill and grabbing the necessary coins from the young man before turning inside to retrieve the drinks.

"What, may I ask, are we all drinking to," queried the oldest man of the group, likely to be the leader.

"To our health," Phichit began, "and to one who has seen the inside of the dungeon of Hasetsu, and lived to tell of it."

"Ahhh, then we drink to me," came the reply in short order, "me and my friends here."

Phitchet's mouth was once more quicker in reply than his brain. "A peddler or craftsman perhaps," he ventured, taking a step or two closer to the group which, once more in hindsight, was deemed a terrible idea, "or as a guard?"

Rough sackcloth scrapped across metal, and the stranger smiled as he visibly enjoyed watching Phitchit's eyes go wide and frightened when a helmet was uncovered on the table behind him. "I never said I was a guard, little one."

Phichit swallowed hard enough, then, that it nearly echoed back to him from the overhead eaves of the building.

The smile became a full grin. "Get him."  
  
–--

Phichit was simply grateful that he was smaller and more flexible than the soldiers as he attempted to pray that God would send him hope and help. A quick branch-aided pole-vault found him trying to stand up on a possible grape arbor that gave partial shade to the outdoor eating area, just barely light enough to walk across it without falling.

Unfortunately for the thief, the soldiers spread out to cut him off on all sides, swords at the ready. Realizing the roof of the eatery proper was just a bit too far to ultimately reach with safety left him with a lump in his throat. Where, before, his idea had been to jump across the gap and then run away from the building as quickly as possible, Phichit was left with a handful of soldiers laughing at his misfortune.

Cornered, of a sort, Phichit figured he had nothing to lose in seeing if there was a weak link in their group - someone he could spring over and get away past, but no one below his feet seemed to give way. A tall blonde with well-kept hair and a bow seemed the closest, eyes wavering whenever they connected with the thief's own, but even he gave no easy quarter. Phichit looked out over the soldiers, and felt the dark-haired stranger's eyes on him.

"Down, boy," came the command, followed by a hand signal to do so, just in case the Little Hamster feigned an inability to hear him from on high.

Phichit gave a hard breath or two, surveying the arbor he stood on before wandering over to the side where The Blonde was. Dropping, he controlled his fall by grasping onto the loose structure and breaking the drop into two parts. Once on hard ground again, there was a heat behind him as The Blonde came close and stopped, leaving Phichit shuddering at having a stranger behind him. Or was it more of a shiver? He wasn't quite sure.

"It's amazing to think that you actually might have managed to escape," remarked the group's leader, slowly stepping forward, "if only you'd kept to the woods."

The thief, wily as a hamster indeed, shrugged at the observation. "Well, a man does need to eat on occasion, my lord." It was a poor excuse for the risk it had held - poor choice as well - but it had truly come down to 'feed stomach or risk being found by its growling'.

There might have been a chuckle from The Blonde behind him, but it was quickly overshadowed by the Leader's next utterance: "Hold him."

The Blonde stepped even closer, placing hands on his shoulders that Phichit swore seemed nearly twice the size of his own, though the grip might have come off as quite loose if his mind wasn't focusing his eyes upon the sharp sword headed his way.

\---

A silver bolt struck into the post near the Leader's head, causing all the soldiers to turn and see a man dressed in black, brilliant clear crystals sewn into a diagonal design from his right shoulder to his waist, black cloak upon him lined in blood red. "You,' he uttered, looking directly at Phichit, "go."

Phichit nodded, looking around at the soldiers surrounding him, and slowly made his way past the dark-haired stranger.

One soldier attempted to stop him, crossbow up and ready just in time to get his hand nearly taken off by a second bolt.

"Captain Katsuki?"

Yuuri's head turned when he heard his name spoken aloud, quickly focusing in on a sandy-blonde taking a step his way, extending a hand. "Emil?"

The man had barely a moment before he was stabbed in the shoulder. "Captain Katsuki," said his attacker, bile clear in his tone.

"Revnosty*," Yuuri replied, sword sliding out to point before him as he and a brunette soldier went toward Emil to block their 'leader' from him once more. The former captain glanced over his shoulder long enough to recognize the concerned brunette. "Mickey, how is he?"

Michele's fingers had already gone for the sleeve of his uniform, tearing it off to use the fabric to stop the wound from bleeding. "I'm not sure, Captain," he breathed, "he needs -"

Yuuri blocked a blow aimed to take Mickey's head off his shoulders. "I heard that the Bishop had replaced me," he said lightly, amber-brown eyes pinned on his opponent, "I'm surprised he chose you."

"I heard tell that you were spotted near the city, but didn't believe you would ever be that deranged as to come back," the new Captain replied, still trying to best Yuuri by sword.

Yuuri chuckled, the sound entirely without mirth, swiping widely and causing the 'captain' to step back or risk a slit stomach. Another brief glance let him know that Mickey was getting Emil away from the action, though another soldier popped forward, sword shaking just before Yuuri disarmed him.

It was time enough, however, for Revnosky to go on the defensive and beat him back toward an outdoor fire.

Reaching out, Yuuri's free hand yanked on one of the long branches set within the flames, jolting it loose and swinging at Revnosty for all he was worth.

Thwak!

Smack!

Their fight ranged from before the steps of the inn, and around the outdoor eating area. Yuuri jumped up onto the tables that hadn't already been toppled when they went after Phichit, and attacked from what 'higher ground' he could gain. Revnosty growled, barking out an order that called the others to him, leaving Yuuri to contemplate possibly kicking people in the head. He didn't want to do that if it could be avoided.

What saved him the trouble of following that thought through with action was the sudden cry of a hawk overhead, and Yuuri noticed how everyone looked up to see Viktor all but dive-bomb into their waiting mass.

Following the bird as he flew off into the trees, Yuuri looked around just enough to notice Michele slipping into a side door of the inn, Yuuko beside him. Saying a prayer for Emil, he whistled for Makka to catch up as the trio put even more distance between themselves and the soldiers.

\---

It had been such a stupid thing to do, and he had known it, to tarry long enough to see who won the skirmish ... to see if he could hear names spoken aloud. Knowledge, after all, was best taken by eavesdropping - or getting your target drunk and loose-lipped, but that had never played out in the Hamster's favor - so eavesdropping it had been, until he saw Katsuki run off.

"Chris," uttered a soldier to Phichit's left, "you should probably see to the healer for Emil."

The Blonde turned so that the Hamster had a profile of him once more - the slant of his cheek bones suddenly a bit more evident, as was the idea that that mouth was usually caught up in some sort of smile. The frown currently sitting there seemed foul to him. Seeing this 'Chris' smile suddenly seemed important to the wiry little thief.

That was the moment, however, when a sliver of a voice in Phichit's head began screaming that he needed to move. Again. Before he was caught. Again. Stifling an aggravated growl, the thief turned tail and headed off toward the tree line as well...

Only to run into a pair of soldiers who were coming back to the others. "Hold it," one of them barked, making a grab for his shoulders.

"Sorry," Phichit called back, "places to escape to, people to avoid!" Twisting, he was nearly bowled over as a large black horse ran between him and the Grabber, even as he was snagged by the quick hand of Yuuri and pulled up into a seated position before the former Captain.

"I hope I'm not one of those people you hope to avoid," Yuuri uttered, glancing back to see Viktor pass by the running soldiers so fast that the wind from his wings knocked them over as he skimmed their heads. Holding out his left arm, Yuuri only seemed to breathe a sigh of real relief once the hawk had alighted on his glove. "Viktor."

Phichit craned his head, looking between the bird and the man who had rescued him, and wondered what the price of his freedom would be.


	2. A Wolf and Night's Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri insists that they camp for the upcoming night ... but Phichit has noticed that sunset is still a bit away.
> 
> What is up with Yuuri, and who is this new stranger who's walked into Phichit's life?  
> This stranger with eyes of piercing blue?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again, we have chapter two, where you guys will get to see Viktor, and be introduced to our true Bad Guy!
> 
> (Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for a small intro/ cameo of Yurio!)

"We will make camp soon," Yuuri declared, glaring a bit as he jumped down from Makka's back, only to have his expression soften as he was giving her a reassuring pat.

Phichit blinked, dark lashes batting against lightly tan flesh in utter confusion. "There still seems to be plenty of light," he blurted, hand held up to the sky.

"We will stop for camp soon," Yuuri said firmly, eyes searching, noticing a pair of farmers nearby. "May we sleep in your barn?"

The man looked at the pair of travelers with suspicion and, afraid of not having shelter for the night, Phichit once more jingled his money purse. "We can certainly pay for the inconvenience," he called out, mind already trying to imagine the itchy but dry straw bed awaiting him. It might itch, but at least it'd be somewhat padded and dry - the best the forest would likely provide was mossy ground that may be hiding rocks. He'd like to opt out of any possible rock beds when possible.

A look seemed to pass between the Farmer and his wife, and then they pointed to their barn. It wasn't the best structure if one was dreaming of true comfort, but it would keep most of the damp away and, yes, give their heads a thicker bed to lay on.

Phichit dutifully got out a pair of coins and handed them over to the Farmer, watched as the man dipped his head briefly, and then the Hamster followed Yuuri and the hawk toward the barn. A part of him wanted to ask the former Captain of any suspicions they might share, but the truly prudent part of him knew to wait a bit longer.

At least, that part was trying to be much more active after what happened at the inn.

Once inside the barn, he helped with Makka's saddle, curious as to why Yuuri kept him nearer to the horse and left his own back toward the gate of the structure itself.

"Gather a bit of firewood," the dark-haired ex-Captain suddenly barked, "but don't be gone too long. It'll get dark before you know it, and I want you in here to watch over the horse and hawk."

Phichit cocked an eyebrow, feeling a bit more on edge thanks to the phrasing of the captain's words. "What do you suspect?" He was reminded of those earlier thoughts, and looked out at their surroundings a bit more warily.

"Nothing," Yuuri replied, though the Thief swore that a sour expression passed over the Captain's face for a moment too long before he spoke. "Simply be quick with firewood for a small fire, and get back here." He let the hawk hop off his arm and onto the saddle as he continued. "I want you safe for the night," Yuuri uttered, eyes checking out their surroundings constantly, though they did seem to halt on the other three living beings on that side of the barn with him. "All of you."

One last glance outside and Phichit nodded, giving Makka a brief pat on the flank before jogging past Yuuri and out into the nearby woods.

\---

Yuuri sighed, looking at Viktor while removing his cloak, folding it loosely and then placing bundle of gray and blue fabric atop it. "Keep an eye on him," he breathed softly, "he's ... far too naive." Reaching out to run his thumb over the hawk's head, he smirked when the bird chirped happily and then bobbed his head. The smirk almost birthed a smile, but then a sound-less sob seemed to heave in Yuuri's chest. "Vitya," he breathed, moving away only to take the hem of his shirt in hand halfway to the barn door.

\---

It was a good thing that they wouldn't be staying in the barn more than overnight - the pickings for really good bits of firewood were ... well, they weren't all that good, if Phichit was being honest with himself.

Somehow he'd been able to gather a large enough pile of branches that could go for a small fire but, as he bent over for one last stick, the Hamster heard a branch snapping off to the right.

Immediately he began to run back in the direction of Yuuri, his horse and hawk; all three, after all, had already saved his hide once before.

"Do you have your bow drawn, Chris," the thief questioned, glancing to his left as if to give the impression that he had company on his branch-finding expedition, "then I suggest getting out your long bolt!" A glance back, in the name of trying to see who might be after him, found nothing. "Emil, I hope you and Michele have your short swords handy," Phichit cried, using names he'd not known until only a few hours ago, but knowing that a name of any kind would make a pursuer hopefully think twice. "I will run on ahead for help, guys, while I depend on you to watch my rear - the rear!" Another two snapped branches, now on his left, made him turn his head just in time to see the Farmer behind him with something in his hands that the thief only registered as big and painful-looking. He was obviously there to harm the money-possessing young man.

Just as Phichit screamed and put his hands up to protect his head, a growl and then a bark rang out from nearby. Startled, the Farmer was looking away from Phichit when both of them saw a wolf leap the would-be-murderer's way, knocking his farm tool out of his hand and bowling him over onto the forest floor.

The appearance of a large black wolf, however, caused a dump of adrenaline into the Hamster's stressed system and Phichit swore he made his way back to the so-called barn in less than half the time he'd estimated.

"Captain, sir," he cried, eyes flicking over every single branch that went into creating the barn itself, "wolf! There's a wolf out there!" Makka snorted as he reached her saddle-bags, checking through them sloppily as she stamped in irritation next to him. "Wolf," Phichit blurted again, finally finding Yuuri's crossbow and attempting to load it with one bolt while keeping a second in his mouth for a moment.

There was a scream, and the Farmer came into view with the wolf straight behind him, going for a shoulder when the man had tripped over a half-visible root.

"Wolf," Phichit repeated, now trying to aim the crossbow at the large creature from the safety of the barn, only to have a pale white hand place itself atop the bolt and stay his own. Looking back, the tan thief found a beautiful, young, silver-haired man there, wearing a tunic of soft gray cloth with blue highlights, blue pants and Captain Yuuri's cloak worn close about him.

"Shhh," the stranger said, finger to his lips, and the action left Phichit speechless, for the eyes in that face were a blue he'd not thought was possible in nature. They seemed to glow, even in the moonlight that was just barely available there near the edge of the barn, and the hair that swept down half his face was so silver that the Hamster swore it was spun of actual moonlight.

Phichit watched as the unearthly stranger stepped past him and exited the barn, heading for the structure's corner. "Am I awake, or dreaming," the thief breathed softly, even as the sounds of the wolf died down once the Farmer ceased his own movement.

"Yes," the young man told him, committing to neither option as he began to step forward once more, feet taking him closer and closer to the Farmer's fallen form.

"Could I be awake and yet dream what I see," Phichit wondered aloud to himself, "or am I asleep and dreaming that these fantastic visions dance before my un-believing eyes?" It was certainly hard for the thief to reconcile the fact that wolves were largely seen as, well, large and generally to be avoided, yet the silver-haired young man he'd seen but moments before was now walking off under the trees with the pitch black wolf padding along at his side as if it were a loyal guard dog. Slowly, as if in yet one more dream, he made his way back over next to Makka and slid down next to her right-front foot. With Yuuri's saddle bag as an impromptu pillow, Phichit's dark eyes slid closed and he slipped into an exhausted and dream-less sleep.

\---

Viktor slowly made his way back toward the last stream they had crossed - the sound of it had not left his ears even as he found himself wing-less, even if the smell had - and he lead the wolf there now, the animal's warmth and solid form a comfort in the darkness.

Silently he leaned down and put his hands out to the wolf, gently cupping the muzzle that dropped into them with one set of fingers as the other dipped into the water and proceeded to wash the animal clean of the small amount of blood that stained its face.

"Yuuri," Viktor breathed, using the hem of his tunic to dry off the wolf's face, "you know I would have taken care of him, don't you?" The wolf whined, eyes a reflective golden yellow as he moved forward and leaned against the young man's shoulder. "I know, Lyubimyy*," Viktor said softly, leaning his chin down atop the wolf's head, "I know you were worried." Fingers deep in thick fur, he placed his lips near a furry ear. "I was worried too," he admitted quickly. 

Standing back up to his full height, Viktor put a hand out to the wolf and they started back towards the clearing where the barn containing Makka was. Still, just short of it and under the cover of the trees, Viktor dropped below one whose branches were full and moss bathed the forest floor beneath it. Seated now, Yuuri came to him and dropped as well, head in Viktor's lap. "I miss you so much, Lyubimyy," Viktor whispered, as if afraid that the other trees would overhear. "It leaves an ache in me that's bone deep now," he admitted, scratching Yuuri behind an ear when the wolf whined as they relaxed there on the cool moss, hearts beating in tandem.

Minutes later, and shifting slowly so the wolf had the chance to move back a step or two, Viktor lay down on the moss and spread a bit of the cloak out for Yuuri. Once the black wolf was situated on the blood red velvet lining the cloak, he leaned against him for warmth as one arm draped over the animal's back and his head rested on the wolf's shoulder. "Yuuri," he breathed sadly, drifting into a sleep made easier by the wolf's presence.

\---

The Bishop of Hasetsu had been in power for years - decades, really. At this point all the younger parishioners were simply used to him being their Bishop, though many despised him in secret. And their elders? Well, the elder citizens of Hasetsu were often too old to go up against the guards, so there came a point at which it became a waiting game, and the people simply hoped the Lord would send them release. Soon.

A man now in his seventies, he had grown used to many of the now very ill-gotten trappings of his current position, and it was entirely an understatement to say he had no intention of giving it up. Why should he, when threats to family brought young women - and men - to his chamber or garden doors? When men seeking favor were willing to sully their own hands - and immortal souls - to keep his clear?

No reason at all.

Pounding on the great wooden door of his private chamber broke the Bishop out of an otherwise peaceful sleep. "What purpose do you have in disturbing me," he stated, voice brusque even as he squinted at the person intruding on his rest or, perhaps, in cowering from the cross-like shadow their sword cast upon him.

From the doorway, a thin blonde guard saluted, almost belatedly. "Sorry, Your Grace, but I was told to report directly to you as soon as possible since he's been spotted nearing the city!"

The Bishop's ears perked up, though his brain had to catch up to them. "He?" An odd light caught in his eyes, and he pinned the guard with them in an instant. "Who, Plisetsky?"

"Katsuki, Your Grace."

"Katsuki," he repeated, a note of disdain dripping from his mouth with it, "I want him found. Him, ... and the hawk. The hawk he ... loves." The last word came from his mouth like something that had to be spit up. As if it carried a nasty after-taste to speak it aloud.

"And then what, Your Grace?" The guard asked, hoping it wouldn't be taken as insolence. He wasn't here out of a love for the church or the Bishop, but to mainly keep his grandpa free and breathing, and to keep an eye out for his cousin.

The light in those eyes gleamed, as if reflecting an unholy light. "Bring them to me."

"Yes, Your Grace," answered Plisetsky, bowing before all but running away from the older man's door.

The Bishop, for his part, proceeded to lay back down, falling into dreams of what he'd do when the hawk and his champion were back in his grasp.

\---

In the morning, Phichit awoke to find Katsuki there toeing him to life with his black boot. "Wh - what," he uttered, sleep still thick on his tongue.

"We head toward Hasetsu," came the clipped response as Yuuri grabbed at his saddle bag, causing Phichit's head to knock into the wooden cross-branch directly behind it, leaving the thief to scowl. "You look like you had a hard time sleeping," the dark-clothed former Captain noted quickly. "Something happen?"

Something ... happen, Phichit thought, eyes suddenly wide awake and another burst of adrenaline coursing through his veins. "Yes, something did happen," he answered quickly and, he realized, perhaps a bit too loudly. "There was a wolf, and a ... "

"Yes, a wolf," Yuuri repeated, prompting him. "It's a forest after all," he noted, "you are more than likely to see a wolf or two as we finish passing through."

Phichit's eyes went unfocused as he tried to describe what he'd seen ... or what he'd dreamed? "No, I mean, there was a wolf - large and black, with splashes of white along its chest," he began, motioning across his own torso to show the diagonal nature of the markings. "It ... I didn't think of it then, but it seemed to be protecting us from the Farmer."

"From the Farmer," Yuuri asked softly, fingers working on tightening the saddle.

Phichit nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, though I tried shooting it..."

"You tried to shoot the wolf," Yuuri breathed, his eyebrows rising almost so high that they were lost to his hairline entirely, "that you admit, now, you think was being helpful?"

The thief hung his head. "Hey, I'm not perfect."

Yuuri nodded. "I think we could all admit as much," he replied, sad smirk on his lips for a moment, checking the contents of his saddle bags as they talked. "Wait ..."

"Yes?"

"You said you tried to shoot the wolf, didn't you?" Beneath his fingers, Yuuri found the pants and tunic he knew nearly as well as his own clothing - or own skin. Rubbing an index finger over the fabric of the tunic, he noticed a small hole developing near a shoulder seam and did something that came off as the beginning of a smile and the end of a frown.

"Yes," Phichit replied, coming to Yuuri's side in a step or two. "I was trying to load your crossbow when this man stopped me."

Yuuri looked up to find that the Hamster had placed a hand on his shoulder. Though his eyes seemed to look at the fingers curling into his cloak, they blinked a few times too many. "A man," he repeated, dazed, leaning against Makkachin and putting his arm out to the hawk. "What kind of a man?"

Phichit blinked a time or two, then appeared to be trying to look at the top of his head. "Hair like moonlight, skin like cream, and such eyes!"

"Yes," Yuuri uttered softly, "what sort of eyes?"

"Oddly full of questions," the Hamster noted, leaning a bit closer to Yuuri, even as the Captain's speckled hawk seemed to take up all the room between them, seated on Yuuri's left hand, upon the leather glove he wore, preening along the length of a wing before gazing up at the dark-eyes on him.

"It's simply that - from the description you gave so far - maybe such a man would wander into my own dreams," Yuuri explained, stroking the hawk's back gently, "and wouldn't that be a thing, for him to do so, and allow me the opportunity to thank him? Man to man, I mean..."

Phichit smiled. "That makes sense," he agreed with a nod.

"So, you had gotten to his eyes," Yuuri said, steering them back on topic. "I take it he didn't seem to have eyes you expected ... ?" A smirk flitted onto his lips, going away as quickly as a cloud across the sky on a windy day, though his hand began to stroke along the hawk's head and shoulders next.

"They were... like a deep lake," the thief said, giving Makka a nice scratch behind her ears. "I had been thinking jewel-like - blue, like a sapphire I saw once in the marketplace - but I think something like a lake describes it better. The color of his eyes, I mean."

Yuuri nodded, handing over a bit of dried venison. "We have ground to cover today," he said, lowering his hand from the horse's saddle, "so you can chew on that to calm your stomach."

Phichit nodded, watching as Yuuri raised his arm, and the hawk took to the sky.

"You'll ride behind me on Makkachin," Yuuri stated, mounting the horse. "She can carry both of us, and we'll make better time." He kept to himself the fact that it allowed him to know where the thief was, but wondered if that was a given assumption for the Hamster.

Taking the hand held out to him, Phichit tried to adjust his legs and sat up straighter than usual, as if he were being watched for good behavior.

\---

During the last rest stop of the day, Phichit had managed to find a wealth of branches that would make great firewood - they were thick, but not too thick, and they were dry. The problem? Too long to be directly useable, and just thick enough not to be the type breakable over one's knee. Not if one wanted to keep said knee in one happy piece, anyway. 

His solution was simple: rifle through Yuuri's saddle bags to see what he could find.

But he didn't get that far.

Staring at him from Makka's left side was Yuuri's sword.

Phichit hated taking it, even though it was simply with the intention of performing menial labor, but there was absolutely no alternative - and they would need fire wood. After the first strike, and as he had his arms extended over his head to bring the sword down once more, the thief found himself unable to move the sword. "What," he uttered, confused.

"This is my family's sword," Yuuri declared, gloved right hand firmly wrapped around the middle of the sword blade, unafraid of pain or personal harm. "It has never known true humiliation - until now."

"Sorry, my lord," Phichit muttered.

Yuuri gave a small nod of the head, leaning the weapon on his shoulder so the light caught it to beautiful advantage. As the thief watched, he began pointing out the gems embedded within the hilt, the shadow of a smile on his face. "This one represents my family," Yuuri breathed, "this one, our standing alliance with Rome." He smirked as Phichit came closer. "This is my father's, and this -"

"Oh, sir," Phichit quickly spit out, waving his arms a bit, "I promise you I didn't -"

Yuuri put a hand on the thief's shoulder gently, and squeezed. "This one is mine to fill," the man said, fingers trailing over the empty cavity with an air of affection.

"How so?" Phichit cocked his head, curious, and wondering if his own family might have had something like this, perhaps years ago.

"I am to kill a man," Yuuri answered bluntly, sheathing the sword and raising his gloved left hand high above his head, looking for the hawk.

"Does this animated corpse have a name to know him by," asked the Hamster, grabbing the smallest of the 'too big' branches while speaking.

"It is the Bishop," Yuuri answered bluntly, eyes seemingly envisioning the moment itself.

Phichit was honestly taken aback by that. No one had succeeded in taking down the Bishop, though several had tried, and most had died. Many now doubted it could be done. Some even whispered that Dark Powers protected him. "But how...?"

"You."

Phichit blinked. "Come again," he blurted, "what?"

Yuuri didn't move until Viktor was seated on his glove. "You will let me in."

The thief was ending up with his suspicions now, and the shudder up his spine spoke of nothing good. "I ..."

"Will let me in," Yuuri confirmed, nodding his head. "When we get to the city, you will help me get into the church, Little Hamster."

"To kill the Bishop?"

"Yes."

A chill ran through Phichit. He'd done many a thing that could be certainly be counted against him by a heavenly choir, but killing a man - even an evil one - had not yet been something on his list. "I ... I want no part of this, sir," he uttered, head down.

"What?" Yuuri was so close now that he would have sworn he could taste it.

"There are strange magicks at work in your life, sir," Phichit said lightly, becoming even more afraid. "I don't understand them, and they frighten me."

"Fair enough," Yuuri remarked, walking a bit nearer to the younger man, and recognizing the same shaking in Phichit that he could remember feeling before his first real battles.

Viktor screeched a bit, and cocked his head at the thief.

"I don't believe that you'd try to hurt me for being what I am," the Hamster said, finally trying to meet Yuuri eye to eye. "But the things that seem to be gathering around us frighten me, and I wish that I could leave." Turning, he'd gone about three steps before he heard the thunk of Yuuri's sword striking the tree he was standing near. Another shudder, and he put a hand on the hilt to stay the blade's swaying. "I'll go gather up a couple sticks of firewood."

"You do that," Yuuri said with a nod, going over to Makkachin and grabbing something from one of the saddle bags before disappearing into the trees.

\---

Viktor swore he recognized the small brown-white hare running before him; it'd come out from under a bush as he was straightening his tunic, and had almost been stepped on. Now, if he could only grab it before it crossed the distance to the bramble bush about twenty paces away...

"Ah, sir!"

"Gah!" Viktor almost made a noise likened to a bird before it dove for prey, and looked around with wide eyes. Turning, he saw the same slightly tanned and dark-eyed young man who'd nearly shot Yuuri with his crossbow the night previous. "You again," he sighed, taking the sight of Phichit in: tied to a tree and head turning every which way.

Phichit whined. "Yes, me, the 'Me' who gets myself into these situations."

"I take it you've done something to deserve this," Viktor said dryly, circling Phichit a bit before coming to a stop and facing him full on.

He almost moaned at the truth of it, but the small dagger clutched in the hand of the silver-haired young man gave him not only a fear of being cut, but a way of being free. “I’m afraid the good Captain doesn’t trust me to stay put for the night,” Phichit answered, recalling how he’d been told to rest after gathering firewood and then awakened to find he could not leave his newest leafy companion. “But, may I ask you to free me, good lord?”

“Me,” Viktor asked, pointing the dagger toward his chest, acting almost as if there were a selection of others to choose from, there in the forest about them, “why?”

“Please, sir,” the thief implored, “I believe a large owl was observing me not half an hour ago, and I think I keep hearing crawling things nearby in the undergrowth.” As if to demonstrate the thought, they both heard a minor amount of branch-breaking nearby that told of the passing of a small animal or two.

“I’m not sure that I should …?”

“Phichit,” he blurted, a bit too excited at the thought of freedom, “my name is Phichit.”

Phichit,” came the repeating reply, slowly and with much thought. “If he’s tied you up, it must be for good reason.”

“If nothing else, allow me to be free long enough to relieve myself with dignity,” Phichit reasoned, “so that I don’t feel I’ve embarrassed either one of us.”

Viktor thought about the predicament – true, he knew Yuuri well enough that if this Phichit was tied up at all there was a solid reason for it; truth be told, a part of Viktor wanted to leave him there for the plain fact that he’d originally found him about to try and shoot Yuuri with his own crossbow.

But his face screwed up at the thought because Viktor, and Yuuri, both knew of being caged in some way. Viktor, for one, couldn't see leaving another soul in any sort of similar situation. Moving forward, he took hold of the knot Yuuri’d securely tied and began to saw at the cord with his knife, though he muttered the entire time.

He was then rewarded with a loud SNAP and the view of the thief running off into the tree-line. "Yuuri is going to kill me," the silver-haired man breathed, falling to the forest floor next to that same tree, hair shrouding half his still-shocked face. "He will absolutely kill me."

\---

In the morning, Yuuri straightened the sleeves of his uniform, allowing Viktor to land on his glove. Smiling at the bird, and mounting the horse, he looked out at the surrounding woods. "Let's find ourselves a thief." The hawk chirped sadly, bumping its head against his shoulder. Immediately Yuuri stroked the creature's head and smiled again. "It's alright, Vitya," he soothed softly as Makka began to walk, "I wondered how long it would take him to get free, anyway."

Between Yuuri's tracking from the ground, Viktor's from the air, and Makka's steady stride, it turned out that finding Phichit was relatively easy - he hadn't gotten too far before getting found by the soldiers yet again.

Before letting his presence be known, Yuuri took stock of who was where and, frankly, found himself not all that surprised that Chris, a tall and tremendously talented bowman, was stationed closest to the Hamster.

The looks the blonde man kept giving the Thief's dark head made it obscenely clear that his intention was to give protection, regardless of what his 'prisoner' may think.  
Knowing he didn't have to worry about his little 'assistant' losing a limb, Yuuri looked at the rest of the group to notice that those who'd been under his leadership were just slightly outnumbered by those who were younger and simply more afraid of Revnosty.

Firing warning shots into the crowd of them was harder than he thought; even though most scattered, there was still a small group of the newer recruits that banded together and began to try and circle around him. Yuuri was impressed by the speed they showed off, but felt sorry for them because they didn't seem to hear the slight noise the rest of the soldiers made moving to close ranks behind them.

At what must have been a signal from their current captain, the nearest soldier started a fight by drawing his sword on Yuuri, and getting it soundly knocked out of said hand by the former captain just as quickly.

Within seconds it was one fighter against another, Yuuri happy to see that his fellows had opted not to kill their opponents, but only wound and disarm them.

That was when it all happened: Yuuri had his hands full parrying blow after blow from his replacement when someone behind him moved to use a crossbow.

"Captain, no!" cried the Hamster, dodging at them with Chris in tow, pulling up on the bow with every ounce of strength in him... and Yuuri's heart was shredded by the resulting cry overhead.

A sound just as human as it was avian, and altogether soul-crushing, erupted overhead as Viktor crashed to the ground with an arrow in his breast.

Yuuri and Phichit both ran for the bird, Chris shadowing the little thief the whole way.

Kneeling down next to the hawk, sword now firmly staked in the earth next to his knee, Yuuri began to speak softly while gathering the bird up in his arms gently as he took in the damage. "Get me the cloth from my saddle bag," the dark-haired young man blurted, freaking out just a second as time seemed to stretch unbearably long before he noticed that Chris was holding the cloth out for him.

"Thank you," he breathed, gently wrapping it around Viktor. "It's okay, yes, it'll be okay." Whistling, they all saw Makkachin come to his side, and Yuuri pinned Phichit with eyes dark as a storm. "On the horse," he said firmly, "now."

"But sir, the bird is likely done for," Phichit blurted, though he mounted Makka all the same, looking at how the arrow had struck the poor creature so near its heart.

Yuuri scowled, first at Phichit and then at the horizon, a lupine growl rolling in his chest and voice breaking as he spoke. "You listen to me, _little thief_! This hawk is _my life_ and I find myself, at this moment, able to do _nothing_ but send _you_ and my _still-beating-heart_ to Father Yakov."

"Sir," Phichit squeaked out, cradling the bird close as it cried once more.

"Take him to Yakov, _now_ ," Yuuri blurted, hand almost painfully slow in taking itself off. " _Go!_ Swiftly!"

"But -"

"No buts, mon petit," Chris said quickly, hopping up onto Makka and wrapping shaking arms around the Hamster's waist so that they were both supporting the bird. "Time is of the essence, and you are tasked with a great deed!"

" _Go_ ," Yuuri cried out, voice cracking once more as he slapped Makka on her haunch, though the force was not there. As they disappeared from view, the once-Captain fell to his knees beside his sword and began to pray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Lyubimyy - Russian for 'Beloved' (masculine)
> 
> I am sorry for leaving this off on a cliffhanger, but it really is the best spot to cut the chapter off at.  
> Besides, that leaves some interesting stuff for next time!
> 
> Truly though, let me know how I'm doing with this - comments help feed my self-confidence!


	3. A Promise is a Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phichit works to keep Viktor safe during the night and, with the help of Chris and Yakov, maybe the beginnings of a plan have formed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone's enjoying this as much as I am - seriously, you have no idea how happy it has made me to share this with you all! (Original stuff in this chapter includes their first meeting, by the way! Excited?)
> 
> Enjoy!

The sun seemed to race Makkachin the entire way, and Phichit could hardly stand the strain of it. His mind kept focusing on the horizon line as if there was something of infinite importance about it. If he’d been alone, he wasn’t sure if he’d still have the hawk in his grasp at this point, between nerves and what he could only identify as the possible tingle of magick beginning to whisper and hum over the feathers in his arms. “We’re not gonna make it,” he breathed with worry, and felt warm arms around him give a quick squeeze. Looking over his shoulder, Phichit realized Chris was still there. “You …”

“You are doing a masterful job, mon petit,” the bowman breathed, face focused on the single structure in their sight, “and you will be a hero.” He leaned forward a bit more, feeling the thief's back press against his chest, true, but smirking because the action had caused Makka to seem a slight bit faster in speed. “There is always fear before there is reward, in things that truly matter.”

Phichit stared at Chris’ face – at the focus and determination all but chiseled there. "Why - why did you come with me?"

"You seemed to be hesitating," Chris said bluntly, eyes still forward, watching where the horse was going. "When the captain asks you to do something, you do it. You do not question him and you do not drag your feet."

"I've ... I'm not a soldier," Phichit countered, almost too quietly for Chris to hear.

"I see that Little Hamster," was the quick response, given in a light breath near his right ear, "but I am, so all the more reason to simply join you and get going."

Closer and closer came the castle and Phichit could feel Chris shifting in the saddle behind him. Chris told him a brief and sad history of the place as they approached; of how a small group of monks who'd gone up against the Bishop had made their last stand there... and paid the ultimate price.

"Does anyone use the castle now," the little thief asked, looking back to see his companion entirely focused on the structure.

"It would seem that Yakov does."

\---

Makka slowed on her own as they came up to the far side. "Sir! Sir! We need your help," Phichit cried when the horse slowed.

"I've asked for nothing but _peace_ ," came an answering bellow from the direction of the closest area of wall. "Go away and leave me in it!"

"We can't, Father," Phichit said, taking a deep breath. "I've been told to bring you this hawk! It's been wounded!"

The silhouette of a head appeared at the edge of the rock work. "Amazing shot, lads - come in and we'll dine together!"

"This is not a hawk for eating," Chris cried out loudly, making himself better noticed.

"If we can't eat it, then why are you even here," Yakov bellowed.

"This hawk comes to you from Captain Katsuki - Yuuri Katsuki!"

"Oh dear Lord - then come! Come in, lads! In!" There was the sound of a bolt being undone, and they saw the old man framed in flickering firelight within a nearby doorway. "Come over the bridge with him - gently - and make sure you stay on the _right_ side!"

Chris was already down off of Makka, and held his arms out to Phichit. "Come petit, you have a date with hero-hood."

The thief slid down from the horse, noticing how Chris made sure that the hawk wasn't jostled about during the dismount. "Are you coming?" He bit his bottom lip at the thought of having to deal with Yakov alone.

"I'll take care of Makka first, petit - you take care of the hawk," Chris said gently, pointing toward the castle.

The Hamster nodded, gulped, and ran in to see Father Yakov.

"Over here, over here," the old man directed, taking them to a nearby chamber, "lay him down on the cot - gently now - _gently_!" Then before Phichit knew it, he was being shuffled unceremoniously toward the door of the room and shoved out, even as the hawk cried out behind him. "Stay out now, for your own good!"

"Why?" The young thief blinked, turning back to see if he could find any cracks around the door or the surrounding walls and peek in. "Why can't I be in there?"

"Be in where," asked a voice behind him, and Phichit turned with a jump to see Chris behind him, a torch now lit nearby.

His tan fingers managed to keep a scream from fully bursting out of him, only for a louder one to issue from within the room they were standing near. "Oh God no," he breathed, "how is it ... how can it..."

"What is the problem," Chris asked, brows bunched in concern, though his eyes flicking between Phichit's face and the door bespoke of his own worry.

"It's ... I think I know who's in there," The Hamster said, suddenly remembering how he'd spoken of odd magicks around the captain and his hawk - magicks that scared him - and he felt like a piece had dropped itself into his soul like a revelation. "I need to see if I'm right," he said, voice suddenly silent as his face searched again for cracks around the door. Catching a bit of moving light, he moved Chris away from the door, and into the shadows, finger pressed to the bowman's lips to keep him silent.

The lock creaked in place as a key turned in it, and the door opened to show Yakov leaving quickly, climbing some steps to a higher area of the castle. As he disappeared around the corner, Phichit yanked Chris along with him and they made straight for the door, able to slip in while it was unlocked.

"Petit, what are we doing in here," Chris asked in barely more than a whisper, hand out to settle on the thief's back.

"Phichit," came a light voice from a few feet away.

The thief looked over at the cot to see not a hawk, but the silver-haired young man he'd seen before, though he was horizontal and had a hand up on the arrow planted firmly in his chest. "Viktor?"

"Phichit," Chris repeated softly, trying the name out on his own tongue much like one would try a new wine. The Hamster looked his way in the torch light, their eyes meeting, and something shifted within the shadows of the bowman's heart, though he couldn't name what it was.

"Viktor," Phichit said once more, going to his side, "what are you?"

Tears filled eyes that were already ocean blue. "I am grief," was the brief response.

"And just what are you two doing in here!?"

They turned to find a fuming Yakov in the doorway. "Father Yakov, we," Phichit started, only to be cut off again.

"Don't 'Father Yakov' me, boy," he barked, close to spitting at them, "I said to stay out, and you didn't, so now you're going to go out and you'll stay out, if I have to guard the door and keep you out!"

"I can keep the little Hamster occupied for you, Father," Chris breathed, wrapping an arm around Phichit's shoulders. "I promise, he shall not bother you again."

"It _all_ bothers me, boy," Yakov barked, moving past them to get near Viktor. "And you - you we'll deal with soon enough."

Viktor nodded slowly, sweating as he tried not to cry out again.

Chris turned Phichit to the door, though he turned around at the last second to see Viktor about to steel himself for the removal of that evil arrow. "Viktor," he called, "Your Yuuri is out there, waiting for you, do not forget that!"

"Yuuri," Viktor breathed, chest swelling with feeling, only to get hushed by Yakov.

The night air brought with it the scent of forest and Chris swore he could hear the distant call of a wolf.

"We're going to do it now, Viktor," Yakov barked, fingers wrapping around the arrow shaft.

There was a nod in answer from Viktor, and then Chris tried blocking Phichit's view of the bloody arrow re-emerging, though both noticed that when Viktor cried out with pain, his voice was _not_ the only one - somewhere a wolf cried out at the same time, and the bowman's heart ached.

\---

"You look like a man who has questions running amuck in his head," Chris remarked, having managed to get Phichit out to an open area on the rocky sea-side of the castle; crumbling castle to their backs, the tide rolled in and out lazily below. "Go ahead, ask - you should know by now that I'm easier to get things out of than Yakov may be."

Phichit twisted a bit of his tunic in his hands. There was a moment where he gazed back up at the aging structure as if he were able to see through the rock of which it was made of, to see Viktor lying there, chest sewn up and finally resting. "What is your part in all of ... this," he finally asked, eyes making their way to his fire-side companion.

"Very little, if at all, truly," the bowman said softly, rubbing a thumb along the top of his bow. "I became Viktor's friend when he came to Hasetsu - we met through his cousin, Yuri."

Phichit cocked an eyebrow at the soldier, and Chris managed a chuckle. "Yes, oddly enough the same name to our Captain of the Guard," he confirmed, "though a slight difference in spelling."

"Had to happen sometime, I suppose," Phichit remarked with a shrug.

Chris tipped his head, and decided to simply continue on. "Our senses of humor turned out to be very similar, so Viktor and I got along well."

"It sounds like you've missed him," the thief said, tan hand coming to rest on Chris' shoulder now, nearly making him jump.

"I ... it's been hard," the bowman admitted, his bow squeaking when he squeezed it a bit too tightly. "It feels like eons since I was able to do something as simple as this with Viktor."

"Sit at a fireside and talk?" Chris grinned, and Phichit swore he could see a falsehood to it, as if he were forcing it for the Hamster's sake.

"We used to watch the sun set," Chris said, grabbing a stick and poking the flames as he continued, the orange and red dancing across his face as he spoke, "warm by a fire, drinking a bottle dry while talking about our dreams - the ones we wanted with all our hearts, as well as the ones we figured would never come true."

"What happened," Phichit asked, looking Chris' way as he leaned forward to put his head on his knees, dark eyes trained on Chris' face.

"Captain Katsuki happened," Chris told him, another smile on his lips. This time a true one.

"The Captain happened?"

"They met when Viktor came to find me in the barracks one night, and the Captain was checking up on new recruits."

Phichit's shadowed eyes stayed on Chris as the olive-eyed bowman seemed to see more than flames before his eyes. For a second he wondered if he'd gotten out of Chris all the info he would, as if the memory had taken him off somewhere else, in all but body.

"They were made for one another, you know," Chris said softly.

"Why are you so sure?"

"It was clear the moment they saw each other," he said softly, "they both looked as if the rest of the room faded away - nothing existing but each other."

Eyes moving briefly from Chris' face to the fire, Phichit crinkled his brow. "You sound ... jealous of them."

Chris took in a deep breath, eyes moving from the fire to something over Phichit's shoulder. "I ... hello, Father Yakov."

"Hello, Father," Phichit barely managed to more than mumble. "How's Viktor doing?"

The old man looked from Chris to Phichit and scowled yet once more. "He's patched up, but needs time to heal properly."

"And you have a look on your face that says you don't believe that will happen," Chris remarked, eyes focusing on the fire as Phichit scooted closer to him in order to give space to Yakov.

"Tell me true," Yakov responded, giving each a chunk of bread to chew on, "do you think he'll get any real time to heal?"

The bowman's face screwed up, looking as if he'd smelt a chamber pot left heating in the sun. "No," he answered simply.

"What is going on here, Father," Phichit asked, eyes looking back up in Viktor's direction.

The shadows played over Yakov's lined face for a few seconds, the fire consuming a stick or two of wood before he spoke. "A curse, lad, and a powerful one at that."

"On Viktor and the Captain?"

Yakov scowled again, or perhaps it was simply cycling between various strengths, from weak to strong. "Yes, boy, on those two poor souls,” said the old man, bringing out a flask to take a quick draw on it. "By day, Nikiforov is the hawk you brought to me, and by night -" A wolf howled somewhere close by, interrupting, causing all three to look up toward the structure and shiver. "By night, you hear the pained howl of Katsuki."

"You called it a curse, Father," Phichit uttered, brain on the edge of tired but still just too interested to quite give in to sleep just yet. "What exactly has it done to them?"

There was a sour chuckle from the old man. "Always together, boy, and yet forever kept from each other."

"How can that - I mean, if they're with each other, despite the transformations, then isn't that still a better thing than death?"

"Imagine being with the one you have come to love, petit," Chris said softly, pale hand hovering near the smaller tan one attached to the thief, "knowing that they are with you - regardless of whether their skin is human or animal - but also knowing that the animal-time is not simultaneous. Never able to truly touch, skin to skin, never able to hear your beloved's human voice except in your own head … and in your dreams; every day that that situation continues erodes your hope for change just a little bit more," he continued, eyes on the tan fingers so close to his own. "The desire to touch, to see, to hear - it would surely become unbearable with the loneliness and guilt." His hand moved away suddenly and he kicked one more branch into the heart of the fire; watching the whole thing blaze for a second before him. "The soul is a fragile thing, Phichit, and they were never meant to be solitary."

Phichit nodded, Chris' words making sense, were nice to hear, even if the thief _had_ spent his life alone thus far. "Sometimes alone is better though," he replied, hugging over-warmed legs up closer to his torso, body seeming even smaller and more fragile with the motion. "Alone, noone can hurt you."

"Alone, noone can help you either," Chris breathed, fingers going to his bow again.

\---

The three shared the flask for a few minutes, each alone with their own thoughts and the fire crackling steadily.

When the flask dried up, Yakov growled and tied it to his belt, only to growl again when Phichit made a throat-clearing noise. “Yes, boy, have a question?”

Phichit sighed. “You said they’re cursed,” he began softly, “but how?”

“The Bishop lost himself to the taint of evil long ago, boy,” Yakov answered, poking at the fire as he spoke, flames fully reflecting in his eyes. “When Nikivorof arrived in Hasetsu, it seemed the entire city was taken by his smile. Unfortunately, that included the Bishop – though Viktor was wise enough to return his correspondence unopened and his words unreciprocated.”

“Some might say that was a rare bit of wisdom on his part,” Chris admitted, “since Viktor was not always that full of foresight.”

“And remind me, again, just how close the two of you are as friends,” Phichit uttered softly, elbowing the taller man, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“Good enough that I can admit he’s not perfect,” Chris said bluntly, looking at Phichit side-wise.

“So, if he was that careful around the Bishop,” the thief prompted, “what happened?”

“Nikivorof and Katsuki were able to hide things, for a time,” Yakov uttered softly, “but because of the Bishop's ability to 'persuade' others ... well, it was only a matter of time until someone saw something and was able to mention the lovers’ hidden meetings to the Bishop.”

The Hamster’s eyes widened again, and he turned enough to look straight on at Yakov. “The Bishop is here to serve the Church,” the little thief uttered, “how is it that he went bad and nothing was done about it?”

“I fear that his control over the people is the only true power he still wields,” Yakov answered, looking at the horizon line like a misbehaving child, “but fear can be a terrifying motivator and a very powerful deterrent.” Yakov noticed the empty bottle they had left and threw it into the fire, flames popping from the impact. “He made no secret of wanting that silver-haired lad for himself, and his disgusting appetites, and Katsuki then openly opposed him. The young Captain of the Guard was going to attack the Bishop during a service but Nikivorof was afraid that the Bishop’s personal guards would be the end of his lover. He counseled patience instead, and it ultimately gave the Bishop just enough time to call upon Dark Elements and cast the curse on them – the whole thing coming down to a juvenile ‘if I can’t have him noone can’.”

“Katsuki is determined to end the Bishop,” Phichit informed the pair firmly, eyes dancing with fire-light. “He wants me to be the one to help him get into the service.”

“You’ll have to be careful of the guards,” Chris blurted, looking Phichit’s way, concern naked on his face.

“As deserving as the Bishop is of a sticky end,” Yakov balked, “timing is needed.”

“You aren’t surprised that Katsuki wants to kill the Bishop,” Phichit uttered, blinking at Yakov in the fire-light, confused.

“If I were a better man of God, and twenty years younger, I’d have tried to do the deed myself,” Yakov replied quickly. “Still –“

“Father Yakov! Come out in the name of the Bishop!”

Yakov, contrary to his looks, got himself up rather quickly, yanking Phichit – and consequently Chris – with him. “Go to Viktor,” he hissed at the Hamster, grip nearly bruising the young man's shoulder, “and get him to the top of the nearest tower!”

“To the top of the tower,” Phichit repeated, trying to breathe, fingers knotting again in the rough fabric of his tunic, “alright.”

“Go make sure that Katsuki can reach his horse when he shows up,” Yakov told Chris as he began to head for the upper level to ‘talk’ with his newest set of visitors.

Chris, after a hurried, ‘yes, sir’, turned to watch as Phichit took the stairs up to Viktor's room two at a time. “Be safe," he breathed lightly before forcing his own feet to take him nearer to the front gate, bow forward, shooting at those who came in with the thought of going after Father Yakov.

\---

"Phichit," Viktor whispered as loudly as he could, Yakov's bellows reaching through the walls, "what's going on?"

Tan skin grabbed onto pale skin, trying to move the wounded man to his feet. "Sorry, Lord Viktor," came the answer, "it seems we have some unwanted visitors, and you and I are supposed to head to the top of the nearest tower."

"I ... gah!" Viktor wrapped his right hand up near his left shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry, Viktor," Phichit mumbled, trying to lead him outside and up to the nearest tower. Two soldiers, however, shot past Yakov and even Chris, managing to get closer to Viktor and Phichit. "Get near the edge," he instructed, "and I'll try to keep them down!"

"Ok, Phichit," the exhausted young man agreed, moving slowly to the lip of the crumbling rock-work, even as he watched the thief leap onto the trap door they'd just come through. A yelp told him someone on the other side had fallen down several steps, likely into someone else on the way.

Both of them screamed as a sword jutted up through a broken bit of the door, and Phichit moved back from it as if he'd been burned. One, two steps and then he felt himself nearly tumble over the side of the rock edging itself.

"Phichit," came a sharp cry, and the tanned thief turned to find Viktor hanging over the side and losing his grip. Those blue eyes were wide as an owl's now.

"Viktor," he blurted, grabbing for him in turn, only to notice a soldier straight behind them - one who'd obviously gotten through the trap door.

"You're dead, Little Hamster," the man ground out, going at Phichit with a drawn sword.

For once in his life, however, Phichit didn't think of letting go of Viktor just to save his own skin any easier. Instead, he found himself leaning out as far as he could, despite the threat, and saved himself from being run through by stupidly falling over the side of the tower himself.

"Let go of me," Viktor pleaded, seeing how the strain was dragging Phichit toward the hard earth below them as well, "save yourself!"

" _Never_ ," came the reply, forced past gritted teeth, " _he_ needs you too much!"

"Yuuri?" Viktor breathed automatically, attempting to hold onto Phichit's one hand with both of his own, though the strain on his left shoulder made him feel as if his body were being torn apart.

Phichit struggled to grip the rocks above them, praying to God that they wouldn't fall, fingers gripping so hard that he didn't immediately recognize the feeling of the magick crackling over their skin, but that seemed secondary to making sure that Viktor be safe. "Don't let go," Phichit said firmly, "I've got you, Viktor."

They slipped about an inch then, the silver-haired young man slipping more as he all but passed out from the pain.  
"Phiiichhiit!"

The thief shrieked as the rock he'd been holding onto finally came loose and then, for what felt like forever, air was the only thing his fingers were grasping.

\---

Warm flesh wrapped around his wrist, pulling him back toward safety. However, his own hold on Viktor was slipping away with each same second, thanks to that tingle of magick creeping over skin like unseen lightning. "Hold on!"

"Don't let go," Viktor cried, afraid and still in pain.

Phichit saw the first rays of morning begin to spill over the horizon and began to search the ground below, even as Chris lifted him high enough to sit up on the lip of rock - there! If he could only hold onto Viktor for a second or two longer! But the magick didn't seem to want that; Phichit struggled and strained, relying on Chris to keep a hold on him as Viktor slipped from his grasp at last.

As it had when he was shot by the arrow, Viktor's scream sounded just as human as it did bird-like. The thief looked down before that part of the castle and saw a dark patch of what he hoped was non-shadow, and saw the silver-haired young man's flesh begin to warp like a mirage in the sun; in the space of a blink, blue-eyed human became golden-eyed speckled hawk in freefall, plummeting down toward that patch of shadowy-not shadow.

  
-**-**-

The night had been utter hell for Yuuri.

They were barely tolerable as it was - feeling the sun set, taking with it his human form and human mind, leaving behind a wolf that knew only one thing: to stay near the young man with silver hair who smelled like him. Smelled like _his_. Smelled like home.

And Silver had not been there at all for the night - for _any_ part of it - and the wolf had been left with the lingering idea that Silver was someplace alone and _hurt_.

It had rained during the night, a quick summer-type shower, and all the wolf had had the energy to do was to stay near the sword, letting the rain wash over his limbs as a deep part of him felt empty and lost.

This feeling was _never_ there when he had Silver near. Forcing sleep on himself had been accomplished more out of the necessity of being of help to _Silver_ the second he reappeared. To be at his side again.

Sleeping, however, at least gave his soul a respite...

Everything had started with that bright smile, the one that looked like it'd light a room up with just its appearance.

Yuuri could remember going about his daily duties, and checking on the men under his direct command – they had gained a handful of new recruits just the week before, and so Yuuri was making sure they were all getting along as a group, much less as individuals – when he moved closer to where his amazing bowman, Chris, was, and saw _him_.

Viktor.

Viktor, the vision with silver hair like a veil of moonlight down his back; Viktor, the demigod whose every movement was graceful enough to speak of hours spent learning to be ‘proper’ and dance at every gathering under the sun. The bringer of light, life, and love into every room he blessed with his presence.

Viktor was wearing soft blue pants and a pale gray tunic, which only helped to accentuate the silver hair that reached to the small of his back, and clear blue eyes set within that divine face. In comparison, Yuuri felt unworthy in his black Captain's uniform, distinguished from the others only by the clear crystal-work his mother had insisted on adding; it started at his right shoulder and spilled down towards his waist. Other than that, the only other real feature he had was his long black cape lined with red velvet. To Yuuri, all the outfit did was add to the black of his short black hair.

So much black, and none of it anything to take note of.

Still, they had taken one look at each other and it was as if something electric coursed through Yuuri’s veins along an invisible thread. It drew the simple dark-haired lord’s son across the room and, after nothing more than a ‘hello’, bent his knee to the silver-haired son of a higher lord. Yuuri swore – right then and there – to protect Viktor with his very last breath and with his final drop of blood.

Viktor had smiled at him nervously, while Chris said something about ‘a more effective arrow than any of mine has hit its target’, and Yuuri could remember standing and introducing himself properly, with excuses that he wasn’t sure what had come over him. That it felt like being drunk.

Chris snorted then, remarking that Viktor seemed to have that effect on many people, and Yuuri could understand that. Still, he wondered if there wasn’t something more there, between them. 

Excusing himself, to finish his check of the barracks, had felt like ripping his heart out and willfully leaving it behind, but somehow Yuuri had managed to say the words and continue on with his duties. At the end of the day, he found Chris alone, as if Viktor had been a brief hallucination or fairy vision, and his heart visibly dropped.

“Looking for anything in particular, cheri,” asked the blonde, redoing the stringing for his precious bow a third time as his captain stepped over to him. “Or, should I say some _one_ in particular?”

Yuuri’s face blushed and he was suddenly acutely aware of the thud and shuush sounds ones boots make on wooden floorboards. “I was hoping to get a word or two more with your friend,” he admitted.

Chris chuckled again. “As I said, he seems to have an effect on others,” Chris said lightly, slinging the bow over his shoulder after standing up before his superior. “Although, he says you are the first to remove yourself so quickly from his line of sight.”

The words poured dread into Yuuri’s soul – had he already done something wrong to leave a bad taste in Viktor’s mouth? “I … I didn’t mean to offend him,” he muttered, showing his anxious side to Chris. It was a luxury he didn’t have with all of his soldiers.

Chris’ chuckle broke through the worry in Yuuri’s mind like sunlight through shredding rain clouds. “You didn’t do anything of the sort, Captain,” he said, beaming as he got Yuuri to follow him to the entrance.

“I didn’t?”

The blonde shook his head. “No – he said it was nice to have so odd and yet so normal of an introduction," the bowman uttered as he stood up. "Viktor said he wants to see you again, when you aren’t busy taking care of all of us like a concerned mother hen.”

“He called me that?” Yuuri asked, brow furrowed, “a mother hen?”

Chris shook his head, a smirk sparking below olive green eyes. “Not in so many words, but the meaning was there.”

"Do you know where he's staying," Yuuri asked, fingers bunching in his cape thanks to nerves.

"You really do like him, don't you sir?" Chris said with a smile, noting the fingers-in-cape movement before blocking them from the view of others.

"I... I want to get to know him, Chris," Yuuri said softly, doing one last visual sweep around them. He smirked, and drew Chris' attention to scruffy-bearded Emil 'stealing' Mickey's boots. "I used to wonder how Mickey could sleep in and still have his boots shined up for inspection," Yuuri told him softly as they left the barracks, "now I just wonder if Mickey knows."

Chris looked back with a chuckle. "True. True." With an insistent arm, he led Yuuri off down the road that led to his own family's City-side dwelling.

Another lord's son, Chris had been told to join the soldiery - with Yuuri it'd been half expectation and half honest wish to be there. Chris had originally thought that he'd 'mind' being there, but working with Yuuri was a pleasure and the Captain seemed to have a knack for drawing men to his cause, though Chris was tempted to say that this was a 'skill' Yuuri himself was unaware of.

To Chris it was the fact that, when you followed Yuuri, he cared enough to make sure you got back to the barracks in as close to one piece as he could keep you - to the point where he could remember Yuuri knocking him over in a battle once and taking an spear in the thigh rather than lose the bowman to enemy fire.

Every so often, Chris wondered what scars that uniform hid from the world, and exactly how marked Yuuri's body was in care of those under his command. The bowman was sure he'd never know but, when the curiosity surfaced, somehow it was enough to quell it with the knowledge that there was a mark with his name on it.

"So Viktor," Chris began again, "he came here from his family's country estate, to visit his cousin and see the City."

"That's good that he has family here," Yuuri remarked, remembering how nice it'd been to have his older sister, Mari, stay with him for a month while he got settled.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I think he's been rubbing his cousin's nerves a bit raw," the bowman informed him, "since their personalities clash."

"How so?"

"Well, Plisetsky's not exactly the happy-go-lucky type after all." Chris informed him, passing dwelling after dwelling with no real conscious thought to it. All the blonde cared was that he was bringing a friend home.

"The other Yuri?" He had known that there was 'another Yuri' in the ranks for a handful of days now - the young, wiry blonde was one of the few under Yuuri's command that the Captain was thinking of using as a spy, after all - thanks to observational skills that rivaled soldiers twice Plisetski's own age. "He does have quite the temper," the young Captain stated, an almost-chuckle silent on his lips.

Chris did the chuckling for both of them. "He does - and he doesn't like how light Viktor is socially."

Yuuri looked up at the buildings as they passed a bit more now; his own home was in the lower quarter, as befit the second child of a lower lord. Chris, and even Other Yuri, were from more wealthy families and thus had larger spaces to call their own.

"It's nice to finally have a good excuse to have you over for a social call, though," Chris remarked, holding open a door Yuuri hadn't even realized they'd finally gotten to yet.

\---

"You're sure he's here," the young captain asked, playing once more with the hem of his cape. Chris had, he believed, at one spot during their walk even offered to walk Yuuri home so that his commander could get out of uniform, but Yuuri'd waved it off. He said the uniform wasn't uncomfortable, which wasn't a lie, and that he was in no real hurry to get home, which part of him took to be an enormous lie - his anxiety was screaming for him to run and hide.

Chris didn't answer him, instead yanking Yuuri by the wrist and belting it through to the kitchen where he somehow managed to grab two bottles of wine and still keep a hold on the nervous man behind him.

"Viiiktooor," he bellowed, head whipping around to take in the expansive garden in a different way than the half star-struck half entirely-too-intimidated captain of the guard he was dragging behind him. "Viktor! Where are you?"

A giggle from behind them was all the warning either man had before Yuuri was knocked down into the grass by an angel.

"Sorry, sorry," the silver-haired young man apologized, holding out a hand to the coughing body below him. "I thought doing a sneak attack would be much more fun than it turned out to be."

Yuuri felt the makings of a chuckle break from his lips, even if his ribs were muttering in aggravation. "Do not worry, Lord Nikiforov, nothing's broken."

"Oh Lord, Yuuri, are you going to be just another one who lets him get away with things," Chris lamented loudly. "You're only going to encourage him that way."

"I already swore my fealty to him, Chris," Katsuki said, "you won't be able to get me to criticize him." There was a beat of silence, during which his brain decided to add something. "Besides, I told the truth - nothing's broken."

"I thought you said the 'swearing fealty' thing was done under something akin to the feeling of being drunk," Chris noted, wonder in his tone.

"I did," Yuuri said with a nod, and an embarrassed twitch of his fingers, "but I'm a man of my word, and a promise is a promise."

Next to him,Viktor's eyes went wide and he bit his bottom lip for a second. "You mean, you really meant what you said earlier, in the barracks?"

Yuuri looked at him with a flushed face. "Every single silly word, yes."

Viktor gazed back with a nearly heart-shaped smile before responding. "I didn't think it was silly," he whispered, leaning close.

Yuuri blushed, and Chris snickered. " _Look_ at you two," he complained, a bit too dramatically, "Just _look_ at the state of you - and I haven't even gotten you properly drunk yet!"

While Yuuri's eyes all but went owl-sized, Viktor snickered. "I'm sure that won't be a problem you have for long," he declared, "but you may want to consider this: if this is how we behave while entirely sober ... how do you think we'll be when we're actually inebriated?"

Suddenly it was Chris' turn to have the owl eyes. "I hadn't considered that," he uttered, tapping his fingers on the wine bottle held by his right arm. "I may have to rethink my strategies here ..."

"Too late for that, I'm afraid," Viktor said quickly, grabbing for the second bottle and taking Yuuri off through the garden, holding his hand.

Yuuri at least had the presence of mind to look back at their host. "Coming, Chris?"

"I have to, mon capitane," he said firmly, "I have the glasses!"

They had spent the night all talking together - Yuuri and Chris telling Viktor stories of prisoners trying to escape, and the adventure of recapturing them and Viktor, in turn, telling Yuuri stories of already having to come up with their little setup there - fire, bottles, glasses - because of a time when he and Chris went out and got more drunk than they'd planned thanks to a mixup on drinks delivered to their table.

"How did it all end," Yuuri'd asked, scared for the pair, despite this being a story of the past. 

"We ended up drunk and naked on the doorstep of Chris' neighbor, Miss Minako," Viktor admitted, playing with his curtain of hair enough for it to hide the embarrassment plain on his face.

"Oh dear," Yuuri blurted, hands on the sides of his head. "I can imagine how she must've reacted!"

"Oh, it was insane," Chris replied, wincing. "You see, -”

"She laughed, didn't she," Yuuri blurted out, interrupting for perhaps the first time in their shared lives. His eyes were locked onto the blonde bowman's face like a predator.

Chris blinked. "How ... how did you know?" Now he looked at Yuuri a bit differently, wondering what his captain left unspoken in his conversations.

"I've taken dance lessons from her since I was little," he explained swiftly, "and two hung-over naked young men on her porch is hardly the oddest thing she's ever had to deal with."

Viktor looked thoughtful at that. "No wonder all she did was wave us away and laugh as she shut her door," he mused.

"Why do I get the feeling that we should be glad she found us awake," Chris asked, looking at the empty bottom of his glass as if it had just insulted his family, his wardrobe, and his profession. Immediately, he began to search for the next bottle and, finding nothing, scowled.

His captain drained his own glass, and leaned in close, as if to make sure the subject of their discussion didn't hear him speaking about her. "If she'd found you asleep," he said, voice low enough that now Chris and Viktor leaned in to listen, "you would have woken up with black ink on unmentionable body parts."

Chris and Viktor looked at each other and gulped. "Yes, now _I'm_ glad that we were awake when she opened the door too," Viktor exclaimed, pulling a bit on the hem of his tunic.

Chris disappeared for a minute, to retrieve another bottle, which left time for Yuuri to lean over towards Viktor and find himself in a kiss.

A kiss that started out sweet, but quickly moved to an open-mouthed variety where breathe was shared and the pair were left with Viktor's head on Yuuri's shoulder. "I really did find your words to be sweet," the silver-haired young Lord said softly, rubbing his hand along Yuuri's arm.

The young captain let his breath out in a sigh. "I mean every silly word I said, Viktor," he uttered, gulping, "I _will_ protect you with my last breath."

"Then I hope that breath is very long in coming," stated Viktor, at least semi seriously. Yuuri gasped, and Viktor turned his head a bit to look up at the young captain. "Something wrong?" It was messing with the nice buzz his head had going on, which sucked, but even more than that ... Viktor liked being there. Being next to Yuuri just felt _right_.

"Is this really happening, Viktor?"

"Is ... is what happening, Yuuri?"

"Being here ... being with you ..." For a moment he was silent, soaking in the feeling of having Viktor there, next to him, a hand on his arm and the feeling of another person's warmth next to him. "It just feels ... it feels like this is where I'm meant to be," he said softly. Viktor's lips opened, soft and very kissable in the moonlight and nearby torch light; 

Yuuri waited for a response, and went wide-eyed when what he got was a far-off scream.

\---

Waking up, the wolf perked his ears up and, soon, the sound came again - a sound half hawk and half human, and fully calling to him.

 _Silver_!

Worry and adrenaline flooded his veins, and the wolf looked at the sword for all of a second before grabbing a black pile next to it and sprinting for all he was worth in the direction he somehow knew Silver to be in.

Reaching the dilapidated castle had not been the hard thing - what had been hard was finding a spot to hide himself as his flesh began to tingle and lightning-like magick crackled over his fur.

"Phichit! Don't let go!"

Silver's voice came to him and, grabbing the bundle, he listened again to hear for it, adjusting his hiding spot with no real self-regard. He didn't matter - Silver did.

"Hold on, Viktor!"

Scrabbling got the wolf about five feet off the ground at one point, face fully upward where he could hear Silver's voice clearly coming from, and he whimpered when a misstep caused him to fall back to the ground. His eyes immediately went back up to the young man with silver hair.

"Don't let go!" Silver said, fear and pain communicating itself to the wolf below... someone else screamed a name and Silver began to fall at the same time that the magick fully crackled over him and, for one brief moment, he was Wolf and Yuuri at the same time, moving back and forth from near the stonework and about five yards from it. Lupine and Human. Eyes of chocolate brown, shot through with molten gold, tracked the fall of his companion as the body shimmered and the human above plummeted into Yuuri's bare arms as a frightened goshawk, the force knocking him bodily to the hard ground.

Yuuri didn't care for a second - Viktor was there again. The hawk cried, and Yuuri ran his trembling thumb over its face and head, breathing soft words to the frightened animal. "It's okay, Vitya, I've got you," along with a litany of "I'm not going anywhere" and a sprinkling of "you're alright, I'm here, you can rest now."

Standing up, Yuuri effortlessly put on his pants while holding the hawk against his heavily beating heart, noting how that frantic speed began to slow more and more with the slight pressure of soft wings and a tiny echoing beat. He was getting his boots on as Chris shot one last soldier that his former captain hadn't even been looking for.

"Captain," Chris cried out, he and Phichit coming forward, Yakov bringing up the rear. "Is he?"

Yuuri cradled the hawk close, restricting him from moving his injured wing. "Thank you," he said to Yakov, and the old man nodded silently. "I mean it," Yuuri pressed, "this ... you have done something for which I can never truly repay you," he added, looking at each of the three in succession, and then a glint of steel flashed in his eyes. “He’s sending soldiers after us so, Phichit, are you ready to help me in my quest?”

“If you kill the Bishop without removing the curse first,” Yakov warned quickly, “it will go on forever.”

“It _has_ gone on forever, already, old man,” Yuuri stated, tonelessly. “If Viktor and I are doomed, I would at least see Hasetsu freed of the demon that has tormented her for far too long.”

Yakov looked like he wanted to nod his head and shake it all at the same time. “But there _is_ a way to break the curse, Katsuki!”

“Go back to your drink, old man, and leave us _be_ ,” he blurted, holding the hawk even closer now, “I would see the bishop die by my hand, and the city and Viktor safe – even if it costs me my life!”

“But that’s the thing – it doesn’t have to cost you that, Captain,” Phichit broke in. “Aren’t you interested, in the least, of whatever idea Father Yakov has, so that you can be with Viktor again?”

He noticed the cracks in Yuuri’s expression – he _tried_ to steel himself, but there was a visible second or two when it seemed like all the former Captain might do is break down and sob from the weight of it. “There is no breaking the curse, Little Hamster,” he breathed.

“There is,” Yakov stated plainly. “All that is needed is for the two of you to confront the Bishop as true men. Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [NOTE] There was a problem with a part of the ending to this chapter - I'm wondering if it was actually a bit too long, so I have decided to make it a little add-on bit put by itself.
> 
> You guys deserve to be able to read all of what I wrote, after all.  
> And thanks to Lightsunflower for commenting and letting me know about the issue!


	4. Chapter 3.5 (the bit that got messed up during the first posting)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phichit has a plan, and tries to set it in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I'm going on the assumption that I hit a Word Count wall - or something - with chapter 3.  
> So this is the bit that was getting messed up. I still consider it part of chapter 3 though.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Which will _never_ happen as long as the curse goes on and on," Yuuri shot back. "Viktor is a Hawk by Sun's Light and by the Moon's Glow I run as Wolf. Always by each other's side, forever apart ... where it is most wanted ... most desired." 

"As long as the terms of the curse are upkept, yes," Yakov agreed, "but in two days God gives us a chance!" He noticed how Yuuri was turning away, and tried to engage the other two as well. "In two days the bishop will hear confessions in the main hall, open to all, and God has shown me that it will be a day without a night ... and a night without a day." 

Phichit's brow furrowed in confusion, and he saw the look mirrored on Chris' face. "How does that even work," he asked quickly. "A day without a night? Will the sun stay in the sky longer?" 

"Who knows how the Lord works, petite," Chris replied softly, staying near him and keeping a lookout near the castle. 

"It is a fool's dream," Yuuri blurted, "and a vague hope for those desperate enough to believe the ravings of a drunk old man." 

"Katsuki, I swear, God has given us this solution -" Yakov stated, going up to the dark-haired young man and holding onto his arm in order to get his focus on him. 

"What God has done, in truth, is to drive you crazy, likely through drink." 

"Yuuri," Chris cautioned, concerned, "you, of all people, would usually hold your tongue and consider things." 

Yuuri's eyes flashed a wolfish gold once more. "Perhaps I feel I have held my tongue far too much during this 'adventure', Christophe!" Viktor, in his arms, chittered nervously, whistling even, trying to calm him. 

Phichit watched, and realized that the truth was that Yakov likely did have a solution to the curse, but it had been going so long that Captain Katsuki had lost the final shreds of his own hope. Trying to talk him into it, in his current mood, was like having a talk with the prison wall - it's waste time and only wear the speaker out. "Well, no matter what," he said, trying to speak up over the angered soldier, "either way leads us into Hasetsu." 

"True enough, boy," Yakov admitted, stepping back, "true enough." 

"Well then," the young thief intoned, putting a hand out to Chris, who seemed a bit shocked by the sudden touch, "I'll go with Captain Katsuki, and maybe you can head into the city with Yakov - that even gives you a chance to check on ... Emil, I believe." 

Chris' olive green eyes bounced back and forth between Phichit's dark ones. "You ... know his name?" 

"I ..." The Hamster dipped his head, a blush to his cheeks, "I stayed around long enough to try and learn ... some names," he admitted, head dipping in a bit of embarrassment. 

"My ... name?" 

"Yes," Phichit answered in a whisper, cheeks now fully aflame, "yes, Chris." 

Chris had no response to that, other than to wrap an arm around Phichit's shoulders and draw him close - close enough that he could feel a heart beating close to his own, could feel how _his heart_ adjusted to beat in time with the other. "Be careful, Phichit," he breathed, sensing again the nameless thing that once more ebbed and crested within him, fingers soaking in the feel of holding that finer frame. "His 'Dis-Grace's' guards are deadly," he warned, eyes blinking heavily for a moment.

"Hey, you're talking to the only one who's ever escaped the prison of Hasetsu," the thief uttered, unable to look the bowman in the eye, fingers bunching in the fabric of Chris' shirt, "remember?"

Chris smirked and moved in to leave a gentle kiss on Phichit's forehead. "Yes, the very one who let his _stomach_ catch him up at an inn," he stated softly, "so be careful."

The thief looked up at him and blushed, a reflection of it dusting across Chris' own. "You too." Behind them Yuuri whistled and called for Makka, the horse immediately galloping his way. Phichit was then reminded that his fingers were bunched when Chris  
turned to go back to Yakov and was unable to move. Again Phichit blushed, loosening his hold. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Chris said quickly, "if it means you actually want me around."

"Are you with me or not, little thief," Yuuri called, mounting Makka and holding onto Viktor tightly.

"I am – I’m coming my Lord," Phichit called out before giving Chris a peck on the cheek, "follow us at a distance, maybe," he suggested.

Chris nodded, watching as the lithe little tan figure left his side and scurried up behind Yuuri, holding on as the horse began to race off toward the forest now in their way to the City. A hand up to his cheek, Chris repeated himself. "Be careful."

"Well, let's get a move on," Yakov bellowed, waving to the bowman, "somehow that little thief has an idea in his head and we need to pack up - quickly!"

Chris nodded, and followed Yakov back toward the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I happen to figure out how to get this back into chapter 3, before really posting chapter 4, I will do my best to do so, by the way.


	5. Together ... and Yet Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Father Yakov had an idea. Phichit believes in it. Now all he need do is to get Yuuri to as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't seen "LadyHawke" yet, and are reading/ enjoying this story, I totally urge you to watch the movie prior to getting through this chapter! (A certain part of the movie is echoed here and I swear ... it is "worth the price of admission", as the saying goes.
> 
> Also, I hope you guys enjoy the nod or two to Yuri on Ice in here - again, let me know if you notice my references to the anime!

Viktor noticed that Phichit was spending a lot of time keeping an eye on their surroundings, and looked around for a second himself. From the moon's position, he believed Yuuri was off in the forest, most likely hunting for rabbit.

Oddly enough, neither ever wanted the other around if they were hunting in animal form; if it was the same for Yuuri, as for himself, then Viktor took it to be that Wolf-Yuuri felt like Hawk-Viktor and wanted the other there in a similar form.

He wanted the hunt to be as humans. Side by side.

Adjusting Yuuri's cloak around him, and rubbing over the recovering wound he still bore, the silver-haired young man moved near the young thief. "Phichit, is something wrong?"

"Something wrong," Phichit responded quickly, "no - yes! Something I'm sure he'd likely near kill me for bringing up."

"Who?" Viktor promptly sat down on a massive nearby root, and blinked toward Phichit.

"The Captain."

Now he blinked. "Yuuri, why?"

"Because he intends to do something, and I'm more and more sure that it's something you _don't_ want him to do, but he's told me repeatedly that I'm not supposed to talk to you about it so we - Yakov and Chris and I - we made a plan and I feel like I'm going behind his back and he'll hate me and probably want to kill me."

Viktor blinked again. Somehow Phichit had managed to get everything out _just_ slowly enough to be heard and understood, though it'd all come out in a bit of a rush and the young noble felt nearly winded himself by it. "A plan for what?"

Phichit took in a breath, eyes closed, and steeled himself. "The Captain intends to kill the Bishop," he stated, afraid at how normal it felt to even say it aloud.

"Yes," Viktor replied softly, "he's wanted to do it since before we were cursed."

"He wants my help getting in ... getting near him."

A nod from Viktor. "So what is the problem with his plan?"

Phichit knew that he was in a unique position, since Viktor couldn't presently check anything he said to him with Yuuri. He chose to tell the young lord the truth of his own thoughts. "He's going into it like his plan is a suicide move."

Viktor blinked, a lot, biting his bottom lip. "Why? Why would he do that, Phichit?" Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. "Yuuri," he breathed, gathering Katsuki's cape close around him, "Lyubimyy."

"We believe that the curse has gone on long enough, for you both, that he has all but given up on it being broken," Phichit answered, feeling colder at the thought, "however Father Yakov has an idea that would break it ... but it has to be done before the Bishop dies, Viktor! If he breathes his last and it isn't broken before that moment, then the curse will go on forever."

"Yuuri," Viktor breathed, fingers lumping in the cloak now held flush against his figure.

"I want to help you two to break the curse," Phichit uttered, putting a hand out to touch Viktor on a knee.

Looking up, the young lord saw a very determined look on the Hamster's face. "What is it, Phichit?"

"Chris," he answered, seemingly out of nowhere. "Everything in me would have run, even after I failed the last time, but if I had ... I wouldn't have ..."

"Phichit?"

"Viktor, what was your first day like?"

"My first ... day?"

"With the captain."

Viktor blinked. "With Yuuri ..." A small smile lit his face. "I'd been here about a week, looking around a bit on my own and, to be honest, largely annoying my younger cousin before bumping into Chris at a party one of his neighbors was throwing."

Phichit nodded. "It does not surprise me that you'd meet him at a party." A sound nearby caught the Hamster's attention, and he looked up to see the bowman still busy shoveling dirt out of the spot that'd been chosen by Yakov.

He'd offered to help, only to have that golden head shake at him. "Keep an eye out around us," Chris told him.

So there he was, keeping an eye out. At this point he figured it was one eye out for a sight of the Captain, furry and black, and one for any other soldiers. "Still ..."

"Yes, Phichit," Viktor said softly, adjusting the cloak around his shoulders.

"Somehow he doesn't seem the type, right now at least, to feel like partying."

Viktor looked over at his friend, brows furrowed. "Chris is a very social creature," he started, noticing how Phichit's whole attention landed on him. "He's at home while entertaining, but it'd be a lie to say that he hasn't been more interested, lately, in finding someone to ... well, play co-host with him."

"But wouldn't that be you, a best friend?"

"Not _that_ kind of co-party host," Viktor breathed, blinking hard, and even blushing a bit.

"Oh - oh!" Phichit exclaimed,, going beet red in the face. "I ... my brain wasn't even thinking that! I mean -"

"He's tried, Phichit, I can attest to it, but there's always been something not quite right with any partner ... until now... maybe..."

"Now? Why's now different?"

"You, Phichit," the blue-eyed young lord uttered, patting the thief on the hand. "You make all the difference, in so many ways."

"But I'm not - I mean we're not," Phichit blurted, gaze popping back over at Chris as he spoke, face flushed and fingers suddenly carding through his own pitch-black hair.

"Not yet, maybe," Viktor admitted, hand on the thief's knee to help calm him, "but give yourself the time and space to choose."

The younger man nodded slowly, then tilted his head Viktor's way. "So is that how it is with you and the captain," he asked softly, "that nobody else seemed to fit until him?"

Viktor's expression seemed to go faraway - eyes glazed and a gentle smile on his lips. "It was the oddest introduction I have ever had but, at the same time, it was the first to seem quite so genuine," he explained, "and I felt as if I had no need to question it or fight it. Being with Yuuri ... it just feels so right." He saw Phichit smile, and a heart-shaped smile appeared on the young lord's face as his eyes closed. "All I want is to be in his arms again, happy and warm ...safe."

Phichit nodded, mind already turning its gears, even when he got distracted by Chris coming over to sit next to them. Suddenly the space between him and the bowman was filled with an electricity that seemed not unlike the buzz he'd felt each time the magick had changed Viktor. Fingers feeling twitchy, Phichit glanced between the two friends and sighed.

\---

It had been Father Yakov's idea to dig the hole, to leave it a spot more conducive to rest and protection - lower than the surrounding area, any sort of predator would have to be in harms' way by the time they came upon the pair; it was Chris and Phichit's idea that the ground be softened by fresh pine needles.

It was _also_ Chris' idea that the trio make themselves scarce before the Captain returned, so that Viktor could lead the wolf to their resting spot on his own... so that they could have some privacy.

"That's a wonderful idea," Phichit agreed happily, "we can stay nearby, in case of need, but out of sight."

"He'll be here soon, won't he," Chris asked Nikivorof softly, to which the young lord nodded. "Then we'll hide, and you wait for him."

Viktor nodded, a small smile on his face. He trembled, eyes fixing on a spot over Chris' shoulder.

Chris reached out to grab ahold of the thief and priest, ushering them off into the nearby tree-line, each eager to see what their scheme would bring forth.

\---

Getting the wolf to come to him was as easy as breathing - fingers extended, burrowing into thick, dark fur the second they were able, and drawing his lupine companion into his arms with an endearment breathed into a furry ear.

"I do not know about you, Lyubimyy, but I am so tired that my eyes want to glue themselves shut," Viktor admitted, blinking even as he yawned, following routine and leading the wolf toward the bed of pine needles. This time, however, he wrapped the cloak around Yuuri's wolf form, asking him to be first to lie down. The wolf whined - of course he did - it was Their Routine, by now, that _Silver_ lay down, safe within the cloak, and then allow Yuuri-wolf to join him.

This was ... not normal.

But Silver acted as if this would make him happy - 'happy' was coming off him in waves, rippling within his scent like a squirrel scurrying around in a tree, and he would die before denying Silver anything that was wanted.

It would have been a lie, however, to say that the wolf's body was anything other than tense until the pale arms were around him, those blue-beyond-blue eyes flickering over his form. He woofed at the feeling, his own golden eyes blinking against exhaustion.

Still, he was with Silver, and _that_ was exactly where he was meant to be.

Viktor lay there, happy to be laying on a comfortable bed of fresh pine needles next to a still-breathing black wolf wrapped up in his own pitch-black cape. The silver-haired lord lay there, rubbing his thumb over the wolf’s shoulder, and day-dreamed of a time when it’d been a bare human shoulder his thumb came in contact with. “Lyubimyy,” he breathed, eyes unfocused.

Their first kiss had a veneer of wine to it, Yuuri tasting to him of berries and oak as much as of sweat and nerves, and Viktor had loved every second of it; their second kiss – the one he was counting as the ‘second’ – found him the next morning, wrapped up in Yuuri’s arms and his cape.

He was not quite sure where his pants were, and half certain he and Yuuri were on one of Chris’ precious flower beds, but Viktor found that mattered less than the heart beating gently beneath his ear and the warm breath wrapping around his head.

“Yuuri, Chris might kill us if we don't move off his…" Was it the Baby's Breath... or the Bishop's Weed? It felt too small and fine to be the Bishop's Weed he'd discovered last week.

"Moss? You think Chris'll kill us for laying on his moss," Yuuri said with a bit of sleepy slur to his voice.

Viktor couldn't help but see it as cute, and slowly moved up onto his elbows in order to look Yuuri face to face. That way, however, he was able to see that his dark-haired companion was correct: they were atop a lush bed of moss right underneath one of the half-dozen trees Chris currently kept in the garden. Yuuri lay there like a vision in cream skin and rich chocolate eyes, dark hair tousled from sleep; while Viktor was clothed seemingly only in his long tunic and draped in Yuuri's cloak, it seemed like Yuuri had lost all but his form-hugging black pants.

His companion was hardly one to complain about the view.

In fact, Viktor only realized he hadn't been breathing when the young Captain of the Guard reached up with one hand to gently pull him down, soft pink lips caressing his and making the silver-haired young man melt from within.

This time it was less berries and oak and more natural earthy musk. Yuuri tasted like ... he was like early morning in a forest, and Viktor only breathed once more after Yuuri'd already done it.

"What are you thinking," Yuuri asked him, watching as Viktor reset himself to his last position - head over the captain's heart, a hand up on his shoulder. Yuuri, for his part, wrapped his arms around Viktor's slightly more slender frame like a man asked to safeguard a precious family heirloom from destruction.

"I was thinking," Viktor murmured, and then snickered because he was still feeling a bit of a buzz and thinking at all was crazy. He felt Yuuri smile against the top of his head, and sighed. "I was just thinking that I love you, Yuuri Katsuki." The second he finished saying the words, fear flooded through him like rushing river water, causing Viktor to shake and back away from the one he'd been using as a human-sized pillow, eyes wide.

Yuuri, for his part, sat up as soon as Viktor moved away from him, actively looking at the man visibly hiding behind his own curtain of silver hair. "Wait - what?"

Viktor’s body shook as he knelt in front of Yuuri, eyes on his own fingers for a moment, pale skin against greenish-black moss. “I think I love you,” he repeated, slowly, looking up into a pair of soft chocolate eyes. “Yuuri?”

Yuuri swallowed, placing a hand up to cup Viktor’s cheek. “I love you, too, Viktor Nikivorof.”

Viktor felt tears welling up in his eyes. “Really?” With a nod from Yuuri, the silver-haired lord carded his fingers through short jet fur...

Viktor blinked. Yes, yes there was black fur under his fingertips. Fingers he could see better and better each second ... as the sun rose.

Viktor trembled as the tingling began, reaching out towards Yuuri as his mind debated on if it could actually say his name aloud before the words would become unintelligible chirps... wondering if he'd even be able to _touch_ Yuuri one more time before the sun got to him.

Because it was there - the sun - just beginning to crest over the tops of nearby mountains high up enough to still sport snow.

The wolf stirred, and shifted, turning to look his way with bright golden eyes. Gasping, fingers against his lips, Viktor watched as the face around those eyes changed from having a snout to having a pale face with kissable lips; watched, mute, as the fur receded until the all-too-human body he loved lay before him.

Rings of gold haloed Yuuri's chocolate eyes, and Viktor wondered if the soldier saw them in his eyes too.

His own lips moved at the sight, watching in awe as Yuuri reached out a hand toward him, and Viktor mirrored the gesture in less than a heartbeat. But just as their fingers were about to touch - to graze each other - the magick began to crackle along nerves long tired of its presence, and Viktor was treated to the shocked vision of Yuuri watching as the silver-haired young lord in turn transformed from human to hawk.

When it happened, he cried out to the former captain, only too aware of his voice stealing away from human to bird in a screech. In an instant he'd gone from Viktor, the young man in love with Yuuri, to Viktor the hawk who's world revolved around Jet, the being with pitch black hair and cape.

Viktor screeched as he flapped his mottled wings, and Yuuri answered with a scream that came off as part cry and part howl, his head up to the sky.

The hawk circled the pit, eyes fully on Jet and on the tears streaking down his face, and something in his heart pinched. Landing, leaning his head against Jet's heart, the hawk twittered sadly until the man rubbed a thumb along his head.

Nearby now, Chris stood beside Phichit and took the thief’s hand in his own, heart beating hard enough to be heard.

"I know," Phichit murmured, giving Chris' hand a quick squeeze, tears streaking down his cheeks. “I know.”

It was only after seeing the thief's tears that the bowman realized there were twin trails down his own face.

\---

Within the hour Yuuri was up and dressed, attempting to look as if nothing that morning had fazed him, and seeing that his ruse was completely lost on those around him. Still, he said nothing until getting into an argument once more with Yakov, again over the old man not wanting Yuuri to go to the church with a one way mission in his head.

“You do not have to lose your life over this, Katsuki,” the old gray-haired priest growled, throwing up his arms in frustration. “How many times must I tell you this?”

“I told you, old man, that there is no release from this curse – the way it is set it cannot be denied!”

“But surely what happened this morning has shown you that the thing is possible,” Yakov breathed, hands out.

Yuuri verbally stumbled for a second or two, and opened his mouth only to close it. Twice. “This morning taught me that all the world wishes to do is taunt us,” he replied sadly.

“Now listen, Katsuki, I don’t believe that – I believe that what happened this morning was –“

“It was the dream of a drunkard,” Yuuri blurted, “and _none_ of you is to mention _any_ of this to Viktor – am I clear?”

Phichit put his hands up. "Hey, I know a losing streak when I see it," he blurted out. "Trying to get you to see Yakov's way is an impossibility, like the very thought that a cat could bark - it's just not going to happen."

Yuuri's eyes narrowed, but he nodded at the thief all the same.

"Of course, there's nothing I can do about what Viktor told me himself, about it all ... about you." Now all three of his companions looked at the thief, making him feel like a bug in a bell jar. "Yes?"

" _What_ did he say to you, Hamster?"

Phichit blinked, and then squared his shoulders. "He told of the day you two met," said the dark-haired little thief, "and he openly wondered how it would have played out otherwise."

Yuuri looked on the verge of being done with the whole thing; his face scrunched, soured and stayed dark. "I'm sure that, since the transformation, Viktor has felt as if he were nothing more than _trapped_ by my side," the once-Captain said in a breath. "I'm sure he'd like nothing more than to be rid of me, now."

"No," Phichit uttered, shaking his head, "he spoke about how different that first day could have gone, yes, but then he began to talk about all the time he got to be around you - before the curse - and you know how smiley he gets when he's happy, _really_ happy, right? He practically _glowed_ talking about you!"

Katsuki blinked, his face visibly softening. A light came back to it. "He was happy, thinking about us?"

"Very happy," Phichit uttered, putting a hand up on Yuuri's shoulder. "He loves you, captain - it's the one thing that has sustained him during the years you two have been under this curse! He longs to see you - wants nothing more than to be of help to you - however that may be."

"I ... I want to see him too," Yuuri admitted in a near whisper. "This morning hurt so much, little thief, so much." He looked the Hamster over, and saw tears in his eyes. "Little thief?"

Phichit blinked to get rid of the tears, and gave a nod. "I swear to you, sir, that in the beginning I might not have had the courage to stand up to you, if I thought there was a different way to go - I wouldn't have had the spine to, to be blunt. But I _really_ do think that it's worth a try to work with the Father's idea, to meld it into the one already in your head, because then, at least, you could meet your maker knowing that you'd tried your very best to have your own happy ending."

"Why does my happy ending - _our_ happy ending - in any way, shape or form, have any bearing on you, Hamster?"

The tears reappeared as Viktor dropped down to Yuuri's arm, a large rabbit in his grasp. Again the little thief blinked the tears away as Chris and Yakov came close.

"Phichit," the bowman said softly, coming to a stop behind him, "are you okay?" He watched with widening eyes as the young thief reached out, Phichit's back to his chest, hand nearly coming into contact with the soldier's scruffy cheek, only to pull back with his fingers fisting at his sides.

The thief looked into the former-captain's eyes with dark ones of his own that seemed somehow hardened now. "You and Viktor _need_ your happy ending," he stated simply, "because I can't stand the thought of maybe having one waiting for _me_ and not you two."

_"Phichit," Chris breathed, his own fingers wanting to touch, and yet not. The young thief was right - they couldn't really have a happy ending for themselves without the two people responsible for bringing them together. "He's right, sir."_

_Yuuri looked at Chris with more focus than he had lately; the man's eyes were on the thief more and more lately, and the same twitch played on the bowman's fingers as his once-time captain could remember seeing there before some of their hardest battles. He sighed, and looked them all over one more time. "Alright, then it doesn't change that getting into the City needs to happen tonight," he remarked, "so I'll cage myself before sundown." A smirk flitted across his face for a moment. "Lord knows you three couldn't do it."_

_Chris' eyebrow rose high enough to nearly disappear into his hair. He chose, however, not to comment. "And once we're into the City proper, captain?"_

_"I need Phichit to help me get into the church tomorrow, I know that much."_

_"He will likely be hearing the confessions of the clergy, when you will want to make your move," Yakov said plainly, arms crossed and head down, mind at work, "at that time he  
and the guards will be most interested in all the pomp and attention, and not on the door."_

_"Is there any way Phichit has backup in there?" Chris asked, practically in a whisper._

_"Worried about me," Phichit breathed, cocking his head._

_"Since the inn, yes," the bowman answered seriously._

_Phichit groaned, covering his face. "You are not going to let me live that down, are you?"_

_"Not anytime soon, no," Chris admitted with a forced chuckle, his bow squeaking as he wrapped nervous fingers around the wood._

_"I'm honestly not sure," Yuuri answered. "I remember asking other Yuri if he'd keep an eye on his Dis-Grace, but has he been moved from that position by Revnosty?"_

_Chris shook his head. "He's still there," the bowman confirmed. "He wasn't happy when you put him there - you know how much the kid just _loves_ having to be around that 'man', even if you simply requested that he be a guard in the church itself." Yuuri nodded, and Chris gave a bitter smirk. "Still, Revnosty gave each of us the chance to change positions, if we wanted, and I don't recall Yuri doing that."_

_"Phichit, when you get into the church, keep an eye out for a blonde soldier around your height, with green eyes -"_

_"Eyes like Chris'," asked the thief quickly._

_"Not quite like mine," Chris responded softly, smiling. "Yuri's eyes are bright green, like spring emeralds were set in his head."_

_"Ok, good to know."_

_"So yes, if you try to gravitate toward being close to the other Yuri, you should do okay, Phichit," Katsuki said gently. "He's got a mouth on him, and he grumbles, but it's like being around a cranky house cat - he'll help, but don't imagine that Yuri will be happy having to do so."_

_"Right."_

_"Everything basically hinges on us getting inside before they know, so don't feel you're under any amount of pressure, alright, Phichit?"_

_The thief glared, even if something told him it was a joke. "Right. No pressure. Sure."_

_"I'm serious, 'cheep," Chris said, now visibly shaking - it was light, but highly visible, "stay safe."_

_"I will, Chris. Promise."_

_"We should make sure we have supplies for the night, and a good meal in our bellies before a bit of sleep," Yakov uttered._

_Yuuri nodded, though he seemed a bit distracted as well. "Chris, I want you and Phichit to grab us wood for a fire, and then we'll have all of you rest while Viktor and I take care of dinner."_

_"Yes, sir," the bowman answered, looking around for a nearby spot to harvest easy sticks from. Chris smiled when Phichit grabbed him by the wrist, following the thief off into the cover of the trees without another thought._

**Author's Note:**

> *Lyubimyy - Russian for 'Beloved' (masculine)
> 
> *Revnosty - Russian word for Jealousy (or Envy, best I could find, but either works and this sounded 'name-ish' to me)  
> In this story I've left all of the YoI boys as essentially 'good' - some may work under one of the two main baddies, but they are not 'bad' themselves. As such, our main antagonists start out as the 'Bishop' and his replacement for Yuuri, a man whose name serves to define his primary trait, Revnosty. Many of the soldiers still miss Yuuri, and their feelings are sharp reminders to the man that he bears a title they still ascribe to another.


End file.
